A controversial study has called for parents to try and limit their offspring's exposure to wifi over fears it could harm their health.

The report, published in the Journal of Microscopy and Ultrastructure, claims that children absorb more radiation from a source than adults.

It warns foetuses are the most vulnerable of all, and the researchers say mothers should not carry mobile phones in their clothing.

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Controversial report claims that children absorb more radiation than adults

'Children absorb more MWR than adults because their brain tissues are more absorbent, their skulls are thinner and their relative size is smaller,' the researchers wrote in their paper, published last year.

'MWR from wireless devices has been declared a possible human carcinogen.

'Children are at greater risk than adults when exposed to any carcinogen.

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'Because the average latency time between first exposure and diagnosis of a tumor can be decades, tumors induced in children may not be diagnosed until well into adulthood.

The foetus is particularly vulnerable to MWR, the study said.

Pediatric neurologist Dr. Maya Shetreat-Klein said, 'Pregnant women deserve to know that wireless radiation can have an impact on the developing brain.

'We're seeing alarming increases in the number of children diagnosed with neurological disorders over the past decade, and anything we can do that might help reduce that rate should be taken very seriously.'

IS WIFI HARMFUL? DIVIDED OPINIONS

Wi-Fi signals use very low intensity radio waves. Whilst similar in wavelength to domestic microwave radiation, the intensity of Wi-Fi radiation is 100,000 times less than that of a domestic microwave oven.

The type of radiation emitted by radio waves (Wi-Fi), visible light, microwaves and mobile phones has been shown to raise the temperature of tissue at very high levels of exposure.

This is called a thermal interaction, but researchers are divided as to whether the radiation we receive daily can cause damage.

The UK Health Protection Agency (HPA) has been monitoring the safety of Wi-Fi. It says people using Wi-Fi, or those in the proximity, are exposed to the radio signals it emits - and some of the transmitted energy in the signals is absorbed in their bodies.

However, the signals are very low power. Sitting in a Wi-Fi hotspot for a year results in receiving the same dose of radio waves as making a 20 minute mobile phone call.

The authors reviewed the current literature showing that children face a higher health risk than adults.

They looked at peer-reviewed cell phone exposure studies from 2009 to 2014, along with cell phone radiation data, government documents, manufacturers' manuals, and similar publications.

'Belgium, France, India, and other technologically sophisticated governments are passing laws and/or issuing warnings about children's use of wireless device,' they wrote.

They say exposure limits have remained unchanged for 19 years, and that smartphone manufacturers specify the minimum distance from the body that their products must be kept so that legal limits for exposure to MWR are not exceeded.

For laptop computers and tablets, the minimum distance from the body is 20 cm.

Researchers warn that new toy for children that include wifi could make the problem worse

The authors also make specific recommendations: pregnant women should avoid wireless exposures; children should not play with wireless toys; adolescent girls and women should not place cellphones in their bras or in hijabs; and government exposure limits need to be urgently revised.

The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IRIC) classifies radiofrequency electromagnetic fields (RF/EMG) as a Class 2 B Carcinogen, the same category as lead, chloroform, gasoline fumes or the pesticide DDT.